Sometimes, Things Happen
by ChrissyGleek
Summary: Mercedes finally takes action against what is happening with Kurt, but when she claims to know things she doesnt, what will happen?  Much better than it sounds, promise!  Please R
1. Chapter 1

Sometimes, things could be avoided. Sometimes things would sort themselves out without the need for violence or confrontation. Things could just have a happy ending, the bad guys would come to their senses and everyone involved would win.

Except this wasn't one of those times. Mercedes knew this as she prepared to face the biggest bully on the campus. There was no easy solution that was stress and worry free for everyone. Sometimes, things just had to get done. Someone had to step up and say no. This was one of those times, and she was defendant that that someone would have to be her.

She had seen that things were changing with her best friend, and not in a way that made her feel safe. He was nervous and skittish, jumping at everything that moved. But what really scared her was that he was avoiding people, not just her but everyone. And whenever he did come to her, he seemed distracted, as if he were ready to run at any moment. She didn't know if anyone else had noticed, or even if he had noticed. She just knew that she wanted to make it stop, she _would _make it stop. No one scared her friends like this.

"Hey Goliath, we need to talk." She said, coming into the football locker rooms boldly, stating herself like she wasn't afraid, a dead lie. Truthfully, she was terrified. But she would never let him know that. All the other boys turned their heads, wondering what was going on. But the object of her attention was the last to turn around, seeming to bore a hole through her head with his eyes. She felt a desperate need to hide herself, to pull herself from under his gaze, but she remained still. She knew what he was doing, he was seeing why she had come.

"I have nothing to say to you Aretha." She flinched inwardly at her pet name that only Puck had used for her before. Obviously he ad picked it up. She clutched her bag a little tighter and straightened herself. She had made a choice to not back down, and she wasn't going back on it now.

"Well I have something to say to you, and your going to listen. I've tried to ignore all this, but I'm just not going to do it anymore. You need to stay away from Kurt." There, she said it, and she almost had to stop a smug smile from coming across her face. She had actually done it. In true Mercedes fashion, she shifted her weight to one side and crossed her arms over her chest. Confidence radiated off of her. She thought she could handle this, and that only made Karofsky angry.

"And what makes you think that's going to happen, huh? Its not like I go hunting him out or anything. I just cant stand it when some guy shakes his butt in my face. It's disgusting, and I just don't want to look at it." He said, advancing toward her. But even though this frightened her, all the while she knew something was off his menacing attempt. He was still boring into her with his eyes. He was looking for something, some sort of knowledge over him. Something he thought she may know. It didn't take long for her to put two and two together and figure out that Kurt had been hiding something from her. He was afraid she knew something, something he did to him. She didn't know what it was, but it made her angry. What could he have done to Kurt that he was so afraid would get out? Suddenly, she had an idea, and she smiled darkly as to use it.

"See something you don't like imbecile? Yea, I know what your hiding, and you better bet that you'll be ruined once everyone knows." She knew that it was dangerous to taunt him, but she thought maybe she could use this phantom knowledge against him. She was so fixated in maintaining eye contact with her that she never saw the hand coming down on the locker beside her, and it made her jump backward, almost into a corner.

"You better watch you mouth girl." Azimio said, peering into her eyes with a different kind of cruelty than Karofsky. He reminded her of the type of guy that her dad had always warned her to stay away from. Someone who thought of girls as objects. But right now he wasn't her focus. She looked back to Karofsky to see that he had gotten considerably more angry.

"You don't even know what your talking about Jones. As if I'd ever want to be near a disgusting queer like him for any length of time." She wondered what that meant, but she tried to keep a look of smug superiority. All the while, Mercedes mind was racing. What did he mean by he didn't want to be near him? He was obviously covering something up for his friends, but what? The more she dug into this, the more scared she got. Oh God, what could he have done?

"Oh doubt that. You know what you are? A pathetic excuse for a guy who has to put other people down in order to make himself feel better. You actually have to harass Kurt because otherwise you couldn't even live with how small you are, really. When I actually look at it, I should feel sorry for you. You're a scared little boy who has to scare other people to feel good. But I've had it, it is not going to be Kurt anymore. So I'll ask you one more time nicely. Leave him alone." She said, coming closer to him. As she moved, he looked more and more scared like she was trapping him. Before she knew what had hit her, she was slammed into one of the lockers. Pain shot up her back, and she wanted to cry out. But she couldn't give him that satisfaction, so she let out a hiss and looked him in the eyes again. There was only a cold hatred there, and it made her heart stop. The look in his eyes could only be called homicidal. She felt as if she couldn't breath. What had she gotten herself into?

"Do you know what happens to girls when they walk into the boys locker room, looking for a fight?" He asked, getting into her face to where she could feel his warm breath on her face. She finally closed her eyes, desperate to get away.

"Please don't do this." She whispered, scared out of her mind. A quick thought flashed across her mind, asking her if this was how Kurt felt everyday while she had stood by. While everyone stood by. She began to feel sick, and had to open her eyes again.

"Sorry darling, you asked for it." He murmured, putting his hand on her shoulder and tracing her frame down her arm. Then he slapped her, sending a red flash across he vision. As soon as she could see plainly again, she knew that the wolves had descended. Desperately, she wondered if anyone would come to help her.

Yea, right. She knew that answer to that.

**A/N So how do you like it? Good, bad? This is my first Glee fan fiction, so sorry if it didn't come out good. But I've had this idea on my mind for a while. Please review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

Kurt

"So, have you seen Mercedes today? I mean, I usually see her at the lockers, but she wasn't there when I went." Tina said, breaking Kurt out of his own little personal world. He blinked, trying to concentrate. Had he seen Mercedes today? He went back, trying to retrace his steps, but realized he hadn't really been paying attention. He hadn't been paying attention a lot lately. Still, this was his best friend. He needed to remember.

"Um, no, I don't think so. Wait, I saw her at lunch, but not since." He said, getting a little more serious. A slight feeling prickled at him. He had a bad feeling about what was going on. As they walked to Glee, he was unable to shake it. What if something was wrong? Mercedes wasn't the type of person to disappear.

"Hey Kurt, are you ok?" Tina asked when she saw that he was staring off again. He looked up at her, seeing how concerned she was. He knew he had been worrying all of them lately by the way he was acting, unable to actually connect with them. It broke his heart, but he couldn't help it. Maybe Mercedes was mad at him because of it? It would make sense, he reasoned. He had been ignoring her lately. Fear coursed through him. He couldn't loose Mercedes too, not her. She was the one thing he could count on. In his mind, he made a decision. If she was upset with him, he would tell her everything. Today. He hated keeping her in the dark, and he couldn't lose her. He needed her.

"Yea, I'm fine. Go ahead in, I'm going to call Mercedes real quick and see if she's ok." He said, taking out his phone and dialing the number, hardly waiting for Tina to disappear. He tapped his foot nervously as the dial tone droned on in his ear. Finally, when he was about to hang up and try again, someone picked up. He sighed with relief. At least she would answer.

"Mercedes honey, its me. Please tell me you aren't mad at me, I didn't mean…"

"Sorry, but Mercedes is kind of busy right now." That voice, Kurt knew that voice. It followed him down the hall everyday, making his life a living hell. Combined with those words, he knew that his world was crashing down. His heart began to race, and he had to put his hand over it, or he knew that he would hear it.

"Karofsky," He said cautiously, scared that he would say something wrong. "What have you done to Mercedes?"

"Well, lets just say that your really going to regret telling anyone our little secret. She is really pretty, you know? But I know you don't go for that, though a lot of the guys her will…"

"What is it that you want? I'll do it, just please don't hurt her." He said quickly, his voice shaking. No, no this couldn't be happening, he thought. He had never guessed that anyone else would ever get involved. Not Mercedes, _especially _not Mercedes. He was scared to death of what he would do to him, but even more what he would do to her. Anything that happened to his best friend would be all his fault.

"I'll tell you what, you come down to the locker room and we might can work something out." He said, obviously gloating. He knew that he had Kurt, that he would have to come now. Tears stung his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. It wasn't about him this time, he couldn't hesitate. Mercedes was in trouble.

"Ok," He whispered, beginning to move toward the back corridor where the locker rooms were.

"Good, oh and lady? Don't tell anyone, ok? Think you can…"

"DON'T DO IT!" Someone yelled on the other end, obviously panicking. It took him a minute to realize it was Mercedes, she sounded so different than she usually did. Usually she was sure of herself, comfortable. Now she was just scared.

"Mercedes?" He said urgently, hoping she would hear him. There was pause, then a crash. After that, there was only dial tone. He cursed under his breath and ran for the locker rooms. By the time he rounded the hall, he could hear her screams. He threw the door open, not even thinking of the evil on the other side. He had just caught a glimpse of Mercedes yellow tee shirt against the lockers before he was slammed into another across the room.

"Well look, I told you he would come." Karofsky said tauntingly. But Kurt didn't pay any attention to him. He looked around at Mercedes, cowering under Azimio. He stroked her arm and she turned her head, obviously disgusted at the contact. Something inside his stomach churned, making him want to throw up. He hated knowing that this was his fault. He couldn't let her get hurt for this, not for him, but he was so dang scared. After a couple of tries, he finally said what he had to say.

"You know she didn't d…do anything. This has nothing to do with her. Just le…let her…" But he was cut off by a sharp pain in his stomach, letting out the little air he had. He doubled over, trying to remind himself to breath. But before he had the chance, he shoved him back against the lockers, almost making him lose his balance.

"I told you what would happen if you told anyone. You're the one who doesn't listen, and I'm just going to have to teach you…"

"But I didn't tell her! She doesn't know anything!" He yelped, completely shocked. He had tried so hard to make sure no one knew what had happened, how could he think Mercedes knew. Karofsky looked at him, unsure for a moment. Then his face twisted in rage and he shoved Kurt's head into the locker, wrapping his hand around his throat.

"You liar! Do it now!" He raged before throwing him on the ground. Kurt put out his hands, trying to catch himself but failing when he heard a crack in his wrist. Pain flashed up his arm and he cried out just before he collapsed. The pain was horrible, and the only thing that he could hear was Mercedes terrified screams. He looked over to her and saw that Azimio had pushed himself up against her. The pain almost diminished as a cold fear washed over him. He realized then that Mercedes had so much more to lose than him, and they took all that they could get. He panicked, desperately trying to reach her. He felt Karofsky pull him to his feet, but he hardly noticed. He fought against him, trying to find any way out and to his best friend. But it was no use, he wasn't strong enough to fight them and win. He couldn't feel the pain anymore, only fear as he watched them tear at her clothes. She cried out, tears running down her face as she begged. Just the sound of the terror in her voice brought tears to Kurt's eyes. He couldn't save her, couldn't reach his best friend three feet in front of him.

"Please don't do this." He said quietly, his own tears running freely down his face now. He thought he would throw up when Karofsky looked at him and smiled.

"Oh believe me, were just getting started."

**A/N **Sorry! I know you guys said no cliff hangers, but I got carried away and this got long! Sorry also if Kurt was a little OOC, I did my best :S. But thank you so much for your kind reviews and Story Alerts! More please, I do love them so!


	3. Chapter 3

Mercedes

Hands were all over her, and she couldn't push them away. She tried, oh God she tried, but every time she pushed him off of her, he came back, taking more than she was willing to give. Her mind was swirling in a erratic pattern, making it almost impossible for her to concentrate. Only when he put his hands on her hips and moved his mouth to hers was she able to hear her own moans. Had that really been her? She thought she was just hearing things, but the pitiful sound was coming from her.

"Stop it! I told her ok? I told her! There, is that what you want?" Kurt. She recognized his voice, though it sounded far away. She tried to concentrate, finally opening her eyes. Kurt was staring at her, desperately trying to see if she was ok. She hated that fear in his eyes, he wasn't even looking at the Neanderthal who looked like he could kill him now. He was only looking at her, and she realized that there was a strength there she had never seen before. What in the world was it that he was hiding-that he was forcing Kurt to hide-that was so horrible?

She really wasn't sure that she wanted to know anymore, or that she could handle it.

"Well at least we're big straight with each other now. Maybe you can apologize and it will be all better." He said sarcastically, pushing him harder against the locker and teasing him. Kurt took a shaky breath, fighting off panic as he knew he was trapped.

"I'm the one that said something, your mad at me Karofsky, not her. If you want to beat the crap out of me for what I've done, fine, but don't let them hurt her, God not like _this," _He said, stifling a sob. Mercedes didn't have that much restraint. He was taking the blame for something she claimed to know, God why couldn't she learn to keep her mouth shut? He looked over, his eyes clouding with anger as he saw Azimio tugging at her shirt playfully. She jerked away, but there wasn't much room to move. He didn't release the hold, and the panic had to be obvious in her eyes. Kurt turned back to Karofsky and stared coldly into his eyes. "You don't even like…"

"Shut up you freaking whore!" He yelled at him, shoving his knee into Kurt's stomach. Mercedes jumped when she heard the breath leave his body, his face twist in pain. She had never seen such violence before, never even thought this could happen. Before she had time to cry out, she saw his knee go into Kurt's groin, heard him cry out in pain. She felt like her heart was breaking as he crumpled over in pain.

"Go!" He yelled behind him. Before she even had time to be confused, she felt Azimio jerk her roughly to his body, violating her in a way that sent a shrill of panic through her. Police reports of the most horrible tragedies flooded through her mind, and she couldn't help but wonder if she would be the next girl that turned up dead in a ditch, raped and beaten.

"No! Please, don't do this!" She screamed, unable to contain herself. She fought, pushing against his chest, but she wasn't strong enough. He pushed his mouth against hers, forcing her mouth open so he could snake his tongue into her mouth, making her feel like she needed to throw up. She closed her eyes for a moment, but then realized that it was worse, like being completely alone with this monster. Her eyes flew open, connecting with her best friends, the only person she knew would help her through this.

"Let go of her you sick perverts!" Kurt screamed, fighting against them for all her was worth, no matter how much Karofsky was hurting him. She forced herself not to whimper, shoving against Azimio's chest for all she was worth. He shoved her against the locker again, preventing her from moving anymore. She felt him rip her shirt, and she couldn't stand it anymore. She looked to Kurt, desperate for something to hold onto her sanity with. He looked at her for a moment before being shoved face first into the ground. He put out his hands, trying to catch himself but only resulting in spranging his wrist. He bit his lip to keep from crying out and rolled onto him side before Karofsky kicked him. Mercedes couldn't resist screaming at the pure insanity of it all. He pulled Kurt up, shoving him back into the locker, probably having to think of what horrible things he could do to him now. Kurt looked to her and tried to smile, though it honestly just succeeded in stabbing her with hopelessness.

"Its ok 'Cedes. We'll be…we'll be…" She sobbed uncontrollably as he chocked on his words. He couldn't even say it. Suddenly, she felt Azimio rip her shirt almost in two.

"No!" Kurt screamed, fighting madly. Mercedes couldn't help the hopeless whimper that escaped her. This was it, God she wished he didn't have to see this.

"Wait, I think its only fair that we give them a chance." Karofsky said tauntingly. Suddenly, she felt Azimio's weight disappear, almost making her fall. She felt so shaky, like she would fall over and puke at any moment. Kurt tried to dart to her, but Karofsky shoved him back into the locker, making the room shake. She almost screamed when she saw his eyes roll back into his head for a moment.

"Kurt, Kurt are you ok?" She asked, tears flooding her voice. He looked to her immediately and tried to smile reassuringly.

"Yea boo, I'm fine. Don't worry about…" But before he finished, he shoved him into the locker again, making him moan in pain. Mercedes sobbed as Azimio came closer to whisper in her ear.

"Beg him fudge cake. Beg him like the slut you are." Tears came down her face, but she shock her head, her eyes never leaving Kurt's. She couldn't do that, she couldn't hurt him anymore than she already had. She felt his hand on her for only a moment before he ripped her shirt in two, exposing her.

"I told you to beg slut!" He yelled at her, about to push her against the wall again, giving her no way out.

"Mercedes, just do it! Please!" He yelled, trying to fight but knowing it was a losing battle. She tried not to, but when his hands came close to her bra, she couldn't help but to do what he said.

"K…Kurt! Oh God, help me!" She yelled, letting all her fear out. And suddenly, the weight on her body was completely gone and she almost fell to the floor. She looked up to see they had done the same to Kurt, except he actually fell. She ran toward him, thinking maybe if they could reach each other then they could actually get out of the hell hole. He scrambled to his feet and ran to meet her, but just as their fingers had just touched, she felt someone jerk her backwards. Before she could comprehend that she had failed, her head slammed into the cold metal of the locker, almost knocking her out. She couldn't take a breath before his lips were on hers again, every part of him leaking into every part of her. She felt so dirty, so violated. She just wanted this to stop.

"No! Mercedes!" She heard Kurt scream, thrashing about as he tried to fight them off, to get to her. She fought, wanting to get to him so bad that it hurt. She couldn't stand the weight on top of her, couldn't stand that he was almost _inside _of her. She tried to listen to her best friends screams, to find some way to escape from the monster on top of her.

"This is all you fault, you're the one who made me do it!" Karofsky yelled, punching Kurt in the face. But what gave her hope, what made her feel like maybe, just maybe they might get out of here was the way he snapped his head back to look him in the eyes, a cold hatred sitting there.

"If you hurt her, I swear to God I'll kill you." And with that, all of the fear, all of the hesitance went away. He was utterly serious, and she was sure that he would and could protect her. If not physically, he would at least keep her sane through this. He wouldn't let her fall.

**A/N **Wow, I cant get around these cliffhangers. Sorry about that, but I promise that things are going to get better in the next chapter. I don't think I wrote this chapter that well, but I had a hard time with this one. I really do hate torturing them, promise! Anyway, thank you so much for your kind reviews! Especially GoldenThroat, you completely made my day :p. Please keep reviewing, I really do love hearing your thoughts!


	4. Chapter 4

Rachel

"Guys, come on! I know Mr. Shue isn't here yet, but we need to spend every second of our time together rehearsing. Sectionals is in a month!" Rachel yelled over her noisy Glee-mates, trying to get their attention. Why couldn't they see how important this was, time was of the essence! She put her hands on her hips, visibly expressing her frustration.

"Rachel, if you don't stop squawking, I will cut you." Santana said, narrowing her eyes at her. She ignored her, but began to think that something was off. Where were all of her team members?

"Hey, where's Mercedes? Because I just totally realized she should have made that comment." Artie asked, being sarcastic yet absolutely serious in a way only Artie could manage. Rachel realized she had been thinking the same thing and looked to the seats Mercedes and Kurt usually occupied. They were empty.

"Yea, and where's Kurt? I wanted to ask him where he got that pretty picture in his locker that moves. I want one." Britney said dreamily, not looking like she understood any of this. Santana smiled to herself, then corrected her ditzy friend.

"That's a mirror sweetheart." Rachel rolled her eyes at their exchange and diverted her attention. All thoughts of Sectionals had somehow slipped from her mind. She had a really bad feeling about this. Like when her dads came home flustered, trying to keep her out of the loop as they double bolted the locks on their door. She didn't know what was happening, but she knew that her friends weren't late. Something was going on.

"I'm not sure where Mercedes is, but I walked her with Kurt. He said he'd be in in a minute, he just wanted to call Mercedes and make sure she was ok." Tina said, smiling at Rachel with a confused expression on her face. She realized that she must have shown her doubts, but she still wasn't satisfied.

"Tina, you came in fifteen minutes ago. It doesn't take that long to make a phone call, and he wouldn't leave without telling us. Doesn't this sound a little…" She began a long speech, but Don't Stop Believing cut her off. Finn arched up, trying to get his phone out of his pocket. He looked at the caller id and smiled at her.

"Here's Kurt now, see? No need to worry Rach." He flipped open his phone and answered cheerfully. For a moment, Rachel let Finn's words comfort her. Surely he would know if something was wrong. Maybe she was just being paranoid.

Yea, and maybe Justin Beiber could win a singing competition against Idina Menzel. As if.

"Oh my God." Finn said, all of the color leaving his face. And in that moment, he had all of the Glee clubs attention. If any of them had doubted before that something was wrong, it was gone now.

"Finn, what is it? What's going on?" Rachel asked, sick of not knowing what was going on. She fought the urge to take the phone out of her boyfriend's hand as he fumbled for the speaker button. Finally he hit his mark and a wave of sound came out of the speaker. At first it just sounded like a normal butt dial, but then they heard a load crash.

"You know what's messed up? I actually warned you pretty boy. I told you that if you ever told anyone that I would kill you. That's not a blessing I extend to everyone." Rachel felt a icy chill go up her spine at the bullies voice. She had always been scared of him, who wouldn't be? But something about the way he spoke now put the fear of God in her.

"Then why are you doing this? Your pissed off at me, not her." Kurt's voice came through the phone softly and it sounded muffled, even though it had to be in his pocket. There was another load crash and Finn gripped the edge of his plastic chair, his knuckles turning white.

"That's right fag, I am pissed off at you. And that's exactly why we're doing this. You hear her over there? Guess what? That's all you fault." The Glee club simply stared at the phone in confusion. Her? What was going on? Then they heard a slight whisper in the background and a whimper. All of the girls tensed visibly. They knew without anyone having to say what was going on now. It was every girls worst nightmare.

"I'm sorry." A muffled sob came through, making Rachel's heart constrict and the adrenaline she had felt a few moments ago returned. Her eyes widened before she turned on her heal and stomped out of the room.

"What the hell are we doing standing around a phone. Idiot!" She mumbled to herself as she turned to see Quinn and Puck right on her heals with most of the Glee club following. She turned back and kept moving even though she had no idea where she was going.

"It sounded like they were shoving him into lockers, they're probably in the locker room" Quinn said, catching up to her. She looked over at her and nodded, any animosity between the two forgotten. They hardly even noticed Mr. Shue walk by.

"Hey guys where are you going? We have practice…"

"Sorry Mr. Shue, Kurt and Mercedes are in trouble." Artie said, being the last in their little line of crusaders. The teacher didn't look to sure, but he turned to join them. Rachel was glad he was there, but he could shove it if he thought he was going to stop them.

When they turned the corner leading to the locker rooms, Rachel wasn't sure what to expect. But I defiantly wasn't the horrifying screaming she heard coming from that room. She broke into a run, mindlessly trying to get there as fast as she could. Why hadn't anyone heard this? Why hadn't they done anything?

"What the hell…" Mr. Shue said as he caught up with them. Rachel hardly paid attention as she grabbed at the door knob, about ripping it off before she realized that it was locked. Puck pushed her out of the way gently and slammed his shoulder into the wood, trying to knock it down. No such luck.

"Mr. Shue, listen to me! Go get Coach Beaste, tell her to bring the keys. Hurry!" Finn yelled at his teacher, gripping his shoulders. He nodded and ran without looking back.

"There we go baby, nothing to hide." Someone said quietly, but every one of the Glee kids heard it. They froze in place, afraid of what was to come next. And they were right. Rachel jumped when she heard Mercedes terrified scream.

"No, no, no! Please don't do this! Kurt!" She screamed desperately. Quinn launched herself forward, yanking on the door mindlessly. Rachel put a tentative hand on her arm, her own tears running down her face and muddling her vision. When Rachel restrained her, she lashed out at the door, trying to hit it but Rachel pulled her back too quickly.

"That…damn…door!" She yelled, frustrated at her inability to act. Rachel pulled her into an embrace, unable to think of anything else to do.

"Mercedes! Stop, I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt her!" Kurt cried out, breaking Rachel's heart. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to collect herself before looking over Quinn's head.

"Mr. Shue!" She called as she saw him trying to hurry Coach Beaste along, who was hesitant. At the sound of Rachel's voice, he put a hand behind her back and ran her to where his students stood. They frantically urged her to hurry up and put the key in the lock, though she seemed to take ages. When she finally opened the door, all of the kids were holding their breath. One thought flashed through Rachel's mind, and she was unable to shake it.

Welcome to hell.

**A/N **Wow, that chapter was amazingly hard to write! I'm sorry it took me so long, but I've been getting sick and things just happened all week. But I finished! And I'm really hoping that the next chapter is much easier and sounds much better! Special shout out goes to Iamshe24 today. I was actually thinking about you the whole time I wrote that part, but I promise that the right person will get a knee to the groin before this is over. So, do you like it? Hate it? Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Will

Ok, to be honest, Will hadn't really thought much of it when his kids had run by him, telling him that two of his students were in trouble. He knew that he should have been, but he also saw Rachel leading the party. She had a history for over reacting for one thing, and he didn't know how they could really be in trouble and no one else have noticed. But he followed them. For one thing because they were his kids and he wasn't going to chance them getting hurt. For another he couldn't kid himself that this went on everyday. He knew something was going on, but he didn't know how serious it was until they turned the corner and heard the screams.

And he was frozen for a moment. Could that really have been _Mercedes?_ Vibrant, loud, but gentle hearted Mercedes? The girl who could be so bold and confident and would stick up for a friend in a heart beat? Now all he could hear was her screams. He couldn't pull her face up in his mind, could hardly remember anything else about her. All he knew was that she was in trouble and he had to do something. He broke into a run, but his Glee kids had still gotten there first. Puck was slamming into the door, unable to make it budge.

"What the hell…" He said, unable to make normal words come to mind. He couldn't think, couldn't come up with a single idea about what to do with the barrier in front of him. So he stood there, not able to think of what else to do.

"Mr. Shue, listen to me! Go get Coach Beaste and tell her to bring the key. Hurry!" Finn yelled at him, gripping his shoulders. He blinked hard, trying to break out of the haze of shock clouding his mind. Another scream came from the room and his priorities seemed to line up. His students needed him right now more than ever, and he couldn't let them down…again.

"No, stop!" He heard as he ran down the hallway. He recognized that unusually high pitched voice. Kurt. He remembered having him in his office just a few weeks ago and somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if this could have been partially his fault. Maybe he could have stopped this.

_You like all other teachers here are too quick to let homophobia slide…_

_You don't know what's going on in this kids head. You have no idea what he's capable of…_

God, had he really been that stupid? Kurt had been screaming at him this whole time that something like this was going to happen. And he had turned away and let it take place. How much better was he than the creeps in that room? What had he been waiting for? Kurt to end up in the hospital, or for someone else to do something? He had to stop beating himself up for a moment to bust through Coach Beaste's door.

"Get your keys and come with me." He said with one foot out of the door. She looked up from whatever she was writing with a bewildered expression.

"What? Will, what's going on?" She asked, remaining infuriatingly still. Anxiety knotted Will's stomach. Mercedes and Kurt didn't have time for this!

"Just get your keys now!" He yelled anxiously, unable to keep from letting out some of his anger on her. She jumped slightly, but grabbed her keys and walked with him, way to slowly for him. But he tried not to push her, though he wanted to. He chattered constantly, trying to get her to move a little fast. How could a hallway be so long?

"Mr. Shue!" Rachel screamed from where he had left her. She was holding onto a sobbing Quinn, looking like she might break down as well. He put his hand behind Coach Beaste's back, pushing her along.

"Mercedes! Stop, I'll give you anything you want, just don't hurt her!" Kurt screamed from the other side of the door, making Will's stomach clinch. It was obvious that the boy was desperate. He had always been so strong, what could they have done to make the two of them sound like this?

"Hurry! Please hurry up!" He said franticly to the woman with the keys as she struggled to turn the lock. Finally the door opened, and what Will saw took his breath away.

One of the football players, Azimio he thought, had Mercedes pushed up against the lockers. Her clothes were torn, her shirt almost nonexistent now. What scared him the most was that her pants were undone. Before he completely knew what he was doing, he had launched himself forward, pulling the massive jock off of the scared girl and pinning him against the wall, as far away from Mercedes as he could manage.

"What makes you think you could do something like this? God, what the hell were you thinking?" He yelled, unable to comprehend what was in front of him. He heard the Coach screaming at her team to leave the room and another crash opposite of him. He looked back to see Finn barely restraining from punching the crap out of Karofsky. He knew he should advise him against it, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't really want to stop Finn from punishing the kid that did this to his step brother, and he didn't think he could.

"And you! What were you thinking? Actually, what were you _doing?" _Shannon said, walking over to where he stood to light into the student he was restraining. He reluctantly let go of his letterman jacket and turned his attention to the heartbreaking scene in front of him.

"Mercedes?" Kurt said quietly, reaching out to touch the girl's arm. But she didn't seem to hear him, and jumped at the contact. His face twisted a little in hurt, but he pulled his hand back.

"'Cedes, it's me. I wont hurt you, and I wont come near you if you don't want me to. Promise." And that's when the girl broke down, powerful sobs shaking her whole body. She had almost everyone's attention now, but they weren't sure what to do. Should they go to her? Try to comfort her? What could ever make something like this better? Kurt was the first to react, pulling her into a tentative embrace. She clung to him like a lifeline. Will knew that it had to hurt him, but he didn't show it.

"Shh, its ok boo. I'm here and I'm not leaving. Your ok, we're ok." He whispered to her, his voice thick with tears. Will felt a lump forming in his throat. He didn't think he could ever forgive himself for letting this happen.

"Now, you go apologize to the both of them. Go!" Coach Beaste yelled at the boy in front of her, gesturing to his two broken students. It didn't take long for his Glee Club to respond.

"No way." Sam said, sending Azimio a deathly glare.

"You are not going anywhere." Finn said darkly, keeping Karofsky pinned firmly against the wall.

"Mr. Shue, do something!" Tina yelped, panicking in a girly way he had never seen from her before. He started, realizing that he still had a voice.

"Shannon, I don't think that's a good…"

"Trust me Will, this is the only way to make punks like this fall in line." She said, calmly explaining her methods to him before shoving her football player toward his Glee kids. He knew how these encounters turned out, especially now. He knew that he couldn't do anything right now, but he tensed, knowing that he wouldn't hesitate if he tried something. Mercedes tensed as she saw him coming, fear flashing vibrantly in her eyes. Kurt seemed to sense it and turned, bracing himself in front of Mercedes.

"Sorry." Azimio said with a smug smile that sent something really close to rage through Will. No, he had to remind himself that he was still a student. He couldn't follow his instincts, which were distinctly telling him to punch this kid in the face. So instead he watched him leave, making sure to shove Tina on his way out.

"Now you Karofsky." Shannon said, crossing her arms defiantly. Finn almost shook with the thought of having to let him go. Will instantly pitied him, especially when he looked over his shoulder for his advice.

"It's ok Finn." He said quietly, knowing that he couldn't say anything else, especially with Coach Beaste there. Finn nodded, reluctantly and moved back slightly. Karofsky moved slyly around him and toward the two scared kids on the floor. Will had to refrain himself from stepping forward when he saw Kurt's eyes widen in fear, his breath catch and never come out. He had a feeling that something was going to happen, but he still jumped when his foot connected with Kurt's chest, pushing him against Mercedes into the locker. The cracking sound that it made scared the crap out of him, and it didn't help that his body convulsed, but he couldn't force himself to breath.

"That's it!" Puck growled, launching himself into Karofsky and not hesitating to let his fist connect with the bigger boys face. He tried to swing back, but Sam hit him too soon, shoving him into the nearest wall. Before he was able to move, Tina rolled Artie in front of him, blocking his way out. In spite of himself, he felt a swell of pride. His kids were coming together when it really mattered. One thing could be said for them, they defended their own. Coach Beaste made a move to stop them, but Will grabbed her hand, firmly telling her to let this play out. She didn't say anything.

Sam stormed back over to him, determined to make contact with his face at least once before the punk escaped, but Quinn came crashing into him, wrapping her arms around him. He started to try and shake her off, but then realized what he was doing and calmed down.

"Sam, no don't do this! He isn't worth it!" She said, her restraining arms turning gentle, her hold turning into an embrace. Sam calmed almost instantly, but the anger in his eyes were evident. And it only flared when Karofsky laughed at him.

"Oh, now you have to have a girl hold you back big boy!" He taunted, his face an image of smugness. But Will was completely surprised when Quinn released her hold on her boyfriend and stormed forward. Tina started, afraid of the cold stare in Quinn's eyes and quickly rolled Artie out of her path. Karofsky smiled, obviously not afraid of the small girl. And that's when she shoved her knee into his groin.

"Screw you Karofsky! Sam's the one holding me back from you! But I'm not doing this anymore! You know what you are? A pathetic excuse for a boy who has to hurt other people because he cant stand who he is. I should feel sorry for you, but I'm completely out of pity. Now, if you even touch my girl Mercedes again, I _will _cut you. That may sound like a empty threat, but I'll do even better than that. You know what being in labor feels like? You will once I'm done with you. And if you ever mess with Kurt again, I'll be the first one in line to kick your ass. Are we clear?" The room went completely quiet in shock as Quinn ranted. No one had expected it from her. She sounded so deathly serious that Will actually felt a shiver of fear go though his body. And after it passed, he felt like applauding the girl.

"Yea…yea sure. Whatever." Karofsky said, trying to get himself together and put his tough guy face on again. Quinn reluctantly let him go and followed him to the door as he left. Then, like the breaking of a spell, all of the Glee kids focused their attention on Mercedes and Kurt. They fell on them like mother birds, fretting over them in a frantic way that made Will think of Terri when they had been married and he was sick. But he didn't want his little family her, it didn't feel safe.

"Guys, can we take this back to choir room? You know…just…"

"Your right Mr. Shue." Puck said, surprising him by agreeing so fast. He offered his hand to Mercedes, who had a hard time staying on her feet. Quinn took it upon herself to help Kurt up, who had to almost lean on her to walk right. He wanted to stop, to make them both tell him exactly what had happened right then so he would have some idea what he could do about it. But he could shake the eerie feeling that locker room gave him. So he took the lead back to his room, glancing over his shoulder from time to time to keep an eye on his wounded band of kids. Still, he didn't notice something was wrong until she heard a strained breath. He spun on his heal, almost making Artie and Tina crash into him. His eyes scanned his line of kids until he found the source of the noise. His blood ran cold.

"Kurt?" He said softly as the boy struggled to get a breath. He began to walk toward him, but before he got there he saw him put a trembling hand to his chest and collapse.

**A/N **Dang, this chapter got long! I am really sorry, but I got kind of carried away XD. So, did you guys like it? Hate it? Oh, by the way, shout out of the day goes to Samandjackforever, who reviewed my last chapter so fast that I got the alert that I had updated at the same time I got the update for their review :P. So did it amount to your expectations? Please review! 


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N **Sorry about the rushed last chapter guys! Here's some clarification. Azimio and Karofsky didn't walk off into the great unknown, and judgment awaits them. I totally meant to put that in there, but it was getting long and I was trying to wrap it up. But I did mean for no one to call the police….because I thought it would be better to let our Gleek's handle it J. But if you don't think so, I can totally have someone call the police, your choice. Ok, on with the story, and sorry!

Quinn

Quinn Fabray was a lot of things, but she wasn't an outspoken person. Sure, she was head cheerio and one of the most popular girls in school, but she hardly ever spoke her mind. Everything she had done, especially the year before, had been all for the sake of her popularity. Even this year as she was becoming more selfless and bold, she still hadn't been an outspoken girl. So when she screamed at Karofsky, she had surprised even herself. She had just been so _angry. _Who in the world did he think he was? One thing was for sure, she didn't like it. If this was what being popular was supposed to be about, then she wanted nothing to do with it.

She had never sounded so angry, she had never _been _so angry. But what made her even more angry, what really made her want to walk out after both Karofsky and Azimio and punch their faces in was the fact that it was Mercedes and Kurt, the only two people who had really made her feel like a person for the past year. Everyone else had looked at her like some sort of virus, or even worse, the hypocrite she knew she had become. But Mercedes had seen through all that, seen through to the scared little girl she was under the mask of normality. She had taken her in, let her sort through the mess that was her life. But more than that, she had been a friend to her, and that had lead her to Kurt. Yes, she knew where all those maternity clothes came from just after word about baby Beth had come out. But most of all, they had been the first two people to ever really become friends with her, and not just her status. And _no one _messed with her friends.

"Quinny, calm down. Please?" Sam whispered into her ear, making her see reason again. Yes, she had to calm down now. If only to help her friends, who needed it a lot more than she needed to light into Karofsky. She took a deep breath and turned, seeing Puck already helping Mercedes up. The anger came back when she saw how badly her friends legs were shaking, how she could barely stand. The thought occurred to her that Mercedes could have ended up exactly like her, pregnant and alone, if they hadn't shown up earlier.

Both of those boys better hope Figgins expelled them, because if Quinn saw them again, she wasn't sure she could stop herself from doing something stupid.

But she shook of the thought for the time being, reintegrating that her friends needed her. She moved to Kurt's side and gently helped him up. It was easier said than done because every time she moved him, she was scared to death she was hurting him. But the whole time, he didn't protest. He just had this distant, horrified look in his eyes that honestly scared the hell out of her. Where could his mind be? Still haunted by what had just happened, or somewhere even worse? She wrapped her arm around his waist, supporting most of his weight as she helped him walk to the choir room. If they could just get there, she could sit him down and talk to him, bring him back from that scary place that his mind was in. But before she could get there, she heard his breathing increase, his heart race. And that's when everything fell into place.

Quinn was no stranger to panic attacks. She had defiantly had her share the nine months that she had been pregnant, but one was more than enough. A stab of maternal instinct went through her. She didn't want this to happen, she didn't want him to be there. Panic attacks were so terrifying, like going to the lowest pits of hell and having to swim back to cruel reality without anything to hold on to. She didn't want Kurt to ever have to go through that. But as his breathing reached the point to where he was gasping, she knew in her heart that she couldn't protect him.

"Kurt?" Mr. Shue said, turning around to see what was wrong. But just as he began to make his way toward them, he put his hand over his erratic heart and fell to the ground. Quinn just barely managed to catch him before his head hit the ground.

"Kurt!" A series of voices called, rushing toward them. Quinn quickly put up a hand to stop them as she bent down, trying to lay Kurt down as gently as she could.

"Don't! You have to stay back." She said quickly, moving to get the closest object within her reach-which happened to be the bulky purse Britney had dropped in the rush-to prop under Kurt's feet. The way he was breathing, getting so much air into his lungs and so little out, she knew that if she didn't find a way to elevate his feet fast he would pass out. She knew that she had to move, she had to…

"Quinn, what is going on?" Someone asked from behind her, concern coloring their voice. But she knew they couldn't all be there. She could remember those terrifying nights when she had laid in her makeshift bed in Puck's basement, crying and gasping as everyone went about their marry business, their jumbled voices seeming to trip her and make her lose her grip on reality.

"Guys your just going to have to trust me. I'll take care of him, you just get Mercedes inside." She said, almost begging as she moved back around to Kurt's head. The way he was trembling as his breaths came out so fast they almost tangled scared her. Her panic attacks had never been this bad, she could only imagine what the small boy was going through.

"Ok Quinn, but if you need us we're right here." Mr. Shue said finally, urging the rest of the Glee club into the choir room twenty feet away. Quinn almost sighed in relief, putting her hand to Kurt's forehead and brushing his hair out of his eyes. He was burning up.

"It's ok, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Talk to me." She said, knowing this was what she had always wished someone would say to her. She had always wished someone would just ask her what was wrong, to let her share her heavy burden for just a little while. Long enough for her to come to terms with reality. Kurt gasped, trying to find a way to speak through his rapid breathing. The panicked look in his eyes was heartbreaking.

"It's….it's all…my…fault!" He said quickly between breaths, obviously sapping the little energy he had. Tears pooled in his eyes, but they wouldn't fall. She was confused. He was apologizing? For what?

"Kurt, none of this is your fault. You didn't do anything wrong, actually you probably saved Mercedes…" She trailed off, hesitant to say _virginity_ if not for his sake, then her own. His face twisted in a form of pain and his body went even more rigid, if that was even possible. She ran one hand through his hair and another over his chest in soothing circles, desperately trying to make him relax. He was already so hurt, and she knew how horrible the sourness was after a panic attack.

"No! I…he said…I never thought…that he would…It's all my fault! I…should have…hid it…better. Should have…done something…myself…and now…" He said, stammering as he tried to force the words out. It was almost painful to watch as his teeth clenched, trying to stop the tremors that shook his body. She wanted to ask what he meant, what he could have hid, but she knew he couldn't answer her. So she just stuck with what she knew, vowing to get the answers soon.

"You shouldn't have to hid anything. I don't know what happened Kurt, but I know that none of it is your fault. You're the strongest person I've ever met, and you proved that today. You were the one that didn't let anything happen to Mercedes, you were the one who saved her." Tears choked her up as she realized how amazing the boy in front of her was. He had taken so much, and he was willing to give everything to help his best friend. And now they had actually made him believe that everything that had happened was his fault.

Oh God, had they really gotten what they wanted? Had they actually broken Kurt Hummel?

No, she through fiercely as her maternal instincts peaked. She was not going to let that happen. Kurt had held his head high despite everything, more than could be said for Quinn, who had been quick to hide once the pregnancy story got out. He had never let anything get to him and had always helped the people who let everything get to them. And she'd be damned if she was going to let them break him now. He had helped so many people, even when it was obvious that he himself was dying on the inside. And she was going to make sure that, for once, he was going to get the help he needed.

"It's ok to cry." She whispered, unable to trust her voice to say much more. She held her breath as he looked at her with eyes so full of pain that it was radiating out of him. And then he turned his head away from her and began to sob with as much vigor as he had been breathing a moment before. She bit her lip to keep her own tears from falling as she stroked his hair, knowing she was messing it up but hoping he wouldn't care because she couldn't stop. She murmured quiet, soothing things to him that she hardly even heard. A song came to her mind, a song she had found long ago in Finn's room and made her own. She opened her mouth and began to sing the sweet words.

_I had to meet you here today. There's just so many things to say. Please don't stop me, till I'm through. This is something, I hate to do. We've been meeting here so long, I guess what we've done always was wrong. Please darling, don't you cry, cry, cry, cry, cry. Please come home, don't say goodbye._

Quinn sang quietly, but her voice was full of passion. And slowly, Kurt's sobs subsided and became manageable. She knew that he was fading fast, the days events wearing him down. Maybe he would fade into a peaceful sleep before the last, heart wrenching stage of the attack was reached.

"M…Mom?" He asked quietly, seeming to become ten years younger in a moment. Quinn had to close her eyes to keep her tears from falling. No, fate wouldn't allow things to be simple. It was actually going to put him completely through this horrible cycle where your mind would give you the one thing you wanted the most, and then reality would take it away. For Quinn, it had been a pair of phantom limbs, protecting her from any and all dangers. But for Kurt, it was so much deeper than that. But he had called her mom, and the surge of protectiveness that accompanied it was shaking.

"Yes, I'm here. Go to sleep Kurt, it will all be better when you wake up." She said, hoping desperately that he would wake up thinking it was all a dream, that he wouldn't be too disappointed. But she couldn't deny him this one small comfort. He sighed as his closed eyes fluttered under the lids.

"Will…will you sing to me again? Just until I fall asleep?" He asked in a small voice. Quinn hardly had to think before the all familiar melody came from her mouth.

_Hush now my baby, be still and don't cry. Sleep like your rocked by the sea. Sleep and remember my lullaby, and I'll be with you when you dream."_

It amazed her to see him drift off into a peaceful, almost happy sleep. He looked the happiest right then than he had in a really long time. She smiled, taking a shaky breath as she whipped the stray tears from her face, and then his. Then she stood, easily picking up his small body as she slowly headed toward the choir room, careful not to jostle him. She kept humming as she walked, maternal thoughts running through her mind.

_It's ok baby, I'm here. It will all be ok._

**A/N **Wow, that felt really, really good to write. Sorry if I went a little overboard, but I got really into this chapter. And once again, its really long. Darn. Well, the shout out of the day goes to TreenBeen, who's comment defiantly made me smile. Well, please review! I need your thoughts! 


	7. Chapter 7

Mercedes

When Mercedes heard a thud from behind her, she instantly turned around. She didn't know what it was, but it had become a reaction in the past hour to look over her shoulder and ask questions. What was that, and what did they want? Her heart raced as she saw Kurt panting on the floor, his eyes closed in pain as he fought to breath.

"Oh my God." She said, trying to fight through the cold, paralyzing panic that had set in on her. She knew that he had been hurt in the locker room, but she really hadn't seen. She had just felt what was going on in front of her. She knew that when Karofsky kicked him as he was leaving, something had given way within him. Her brain seemed to race with all of the horrible possibilities.

"Guys your just going to have to trust me. I'll take care of him, you just get Mercedes inside." I heard Quinn say just before Puck turned her and walked her toward the choir room, leading her with a gentle arm around her shoulders. She moved with him because she didn't feel like she could do anything else. Her whole body felt numb, like she wasn't apart of it anymore.

"'Cedes, are you ok?" She heard distantly, but she felt like it didn't really reach her. She just stared into the distance, her mind widely spinning. She was trying to concentrate, but it was so hard. Maybe it was just best to stay like this…

"Mercedes, listen to me. I know this is really hard for you, but I need you to come back to us. Please? You cant just disappear inside yourself." Tina said tearfully as she bent down so that she could look her friend in the eyes. Mercedes blinked, trying to concentrate on Tina's concerned face. She felt a little more grounded, but it was like holding onto a slippery surface.

"It's….it's all…my…fault!" She heard from outside, the voice somehow bringing her back to her familiar seat in the choir room. She realized that the voice was Kurt's, and she burst into tears. All the pain from the day came back to her, almost crushing her in a wave of depression. She knew that her best friend was wrong, this wasn't his fault. She had been the one claiming she knew what she didn't. If anyone was at fault it was her.

"That's it, I'm calling the police. To hell with what Figgin's desides." Mr. Shuester said angrily, stopping his pacing to pick up his phone. Panic rushed through her, and before she realized what she was doing, she did the very thing that had gotten her into this mess. She opened her mouth.

"No! Please don't do that!" She yelped, making her sobs even more violent. Her friends flocked around her, their reassuring hands cluthing her shoulders. She was unable to keep from associating them to the hands that had been on her a few moments ago, trying to force their way inside her. She shrank into her chair and most of the hands went away, sencing her discomfort. Mr. Shue stared at her with a confused look on his face. But he was waiting, and that was something. She took a shaky breath

"I just…I cant be the girl that was almost…almost…." My sentence faded off as I tried to hold in tears. Everyone fell silent for a while, unable to pull anything to mind that would make this any better. They all jumped to their feet when Quinn came in, struggling to keep hold of Kurt. The rush was the same for all of them, dark relief that they could finally do something useful instead of sitting in their horrible, separate thoughts.

"Sh, he has to sleep all of this off." Quinn whispered as Finn came to take the sleeping boy out of her arms. Finn nodded, cradling him carefully in his arms. Mercedes couldn't help but to smile slightly at how gentle Finn was. It quickly faded.

"He's fine honey. Calm down." Quinn whispered in her ear as she took the seat beside her. She took a deep breath, trying to do as her friend asked. It helped that she could look over at Kurt and see that he was breathing evenly, his face almost relaxed. She sighed slightly, a little bit of tension leaving her body. Quinn smiled weakly, grabbing her hands.

"It feels scary in here. Like when the lights are off in my room and I cant find the light switch." Britney said quietly, almost to herself. The room grew eerily quiet as everyone let her words sink in. Yes, it did feel scary. Like something was hiding in the corner, ready to pounce at them in a moments notice. Mercedes took a shaky breath and Quinn squeezed her hand.

"Britney's right Mr. Shue, it feels really…eerie here. Have Karofsky and Azimio left?" Artie asked, his hands fidgeting uneasily in his lap.

"No, Coach Beaste was taking them to the office, but she had to call Principle Figgins to come back…" He said, trailing off as he looked at his students expressions, all nervous and scared.

"Can…can we get out of here?" Tina said, stuttering for the first time in months. Mr. Shue started to say something, but a sudden bolt of distant lightning flashed, making the whole room tense up. Rain began to fall, beating hard against the roof. A unreasonable chill went through Mercedes, shaking her whole body. Quinn moved her hand to touch her arm in concern.

"Yea, I think that would be best. We can go to my house." Will said, grabbing his keys. "Finn, can you drive too?"

"Yea, Tina, can you get Kurt's keys?" He asked the smaller girl, who was closest to his step-brothers bag. Mercedes stood up uncertainly, but her teacher instantly walked toward her and put a protecting arm around her shoulders. She put her head down slightly, feeling almost safe for the first time today.

"Oh God." Someone said quietly up ahead. Mercedes looked up, and what she saw made her stomach crawl and her heart race. Coach Beaste had the two giants sitting in the Principle's office. They were behind glass, but those eyes. Mercedes felt if she had to look at those eyes any longer, she would honestly lose her sanity. She tried to look ahead, tried to think of something else. Finn rushed ahead, almost tripping over his feet but moving with purpose. She tried to look at his feet, think about how fast he was moving, but her mind kept wandering back to those eyes she was sure would be in her nightmares tonight. She tensed, trying to hide herself. Mr. Shue pulled her close, and she felt a little better. She could fool herself into believing that they couldn't see her and look ahead only slightly scared.

"It's ok Mercedes, we're past them." He said quietly, relaxing his grip on her a bit. They moved quickly to the door, ironically slowing down only when the cold rain hit them. Mercedes strangely found the rain soothing. It calmed her as it steadily hit her soft hair, pressing it against her face. She didn't even think at first as she climbed into her teachers car that she was getting it wet.

"Oh um, sorry about getting your car wet Mr. Shue." She said quietly, touching her wet pants.

"There's no need to be sorry Mercedes." He said thickly, a double meaning evident. Instinctively, a half smile flashed across her face and quickly disappeared. He started his old car up, and after a few tries, it came to life. They had just began to pull out of the parking lot when he spoke again.

"I'm the one that should be sorry. A lot of this is my fault, I fail both of you. I…I'm really sorry." He said quietly, making Mercedes eyes pool with tears again. Somehow though, se found it in her to laugh weakly.

"Isn't it funny how we all feel guilty and we didn't even really do anything? If they aren't guilty, then why should any of us be?" She asked thoughtfully. Will stared at her, struck dumb. He had no idea what to say to her, but he did feel a lot better knowing she didn't blame him.

"I still should have done something."

"Yea, I should have to. But we really cant change that, so we just have to fix it now, right?" She said, an obvious question at the end, looking to her teacher for the answer. He smiled and put his hand over hers.

"Yes, we're going to fix this."

**A/N **Oh my gosh, I am so sorry for not updating sooner! I've had a Renaissance Fair project to organize and EOC's to study for and take, and just the general excuses life throws at you! But…I passed my EOC's and the Renaissance Fair was a hit, so I am defiantly back! And I have a Christmas present for all my amazing reviewers! Until Monday, I am completely open to suggestions. Just drop me a line with any story ideas that you have, and I will get them out there! It might be a late Christmas present, but I promise it will happen! So, please review and give me your ideas J. Merry Christmas everyone!


	8. Chapter 8

Puck hated to show any form of emotion. It made you weak, show'd people they could walk all over you. And _no one_ messed with Puckzilla. But when he had seen Mercedes on the floor, looking like the world would crush her at any moment, he didnt hesitate before walking away from the fight. He had looked for a long time into her chocolate brown eyes, making sure she trusted him before he touched her. Kurt had been hesitant to let him touch her, even to help her up. His words would echo in Puck's subconcious for a while.

_"Don't...just...don't." _Yea, it wasnt much, but the feeling behind those three words was what got under Puck's skin. So tired and desperate, not even knowing what to ask for. He kept his eye on Mercedes face as they walked, noticing how haunted her eyes looked. Puck would never admit it, but all of this _hurt. _He was _scared_ about what made his favorite girlfriend look like she had litterally gone through hell, he felt _sick _that this had happened and he hadn't done anything to stop it. But most of all, the one feeling he wasnt afraid to express. He was _enraged _that they had done this, it made him see red to think that he had seen them all day, socialized with them even. At one time, he had even considered them friends. They had been going to school together since kindergarten.

Truth was, Puck felt _guilty._

But he didnt show it, he would never show it. But one thing was for sure, a certain group of jocks could count themselves out for this season once Puck got his hands on them. But he wouldnt think about that right now, there was more important things going on at the moment. Such as getting a sleeping Kurt out of the car and into Mr. Shue's apartment. Puck ran around the the other side of Kurt's Navigator, opening the door so that Finn could try to squirm out without waking Kurt up. It helped his nerves a little that Kurt at least looked relaxed. He wouldnt concentrate on how young he looked, how innocent. And he wouldnt feel the almost painful twist of his heart.

Finn was really about to lose it once they got to the stairs. Anyone could see that his best friend was extreamly anxious. When the got into Mr. Shue's apartment, Finn looked around for a moment. Puck had to wonder if he was waiting for a bed to magically appear, but he couldnt hold the sarcastic thought for long as Finn quickly got back on track, carefully sitting down on the couch and positioning himself to where Kurt would be the most comfortable. It was all quite in the apartment, aside from Kurt's soft breathing and occasional moans. The gleeks didnt know what to say, and the silence seemed to good to break. So they savored it, at least until they saw the other three cars come up. Mike and Puck went out to make sure the girls got in safely. Finn and Quinn stayed put, refusing to leave Kurt's side.

"Hey, everyone got here ok, right?" Mr. Shue asks, hardly getting his head out of the car before speaking. Puck assured him everything was fine and opened the door for Mercedes. Her usually dark skin was subdued to a weak chocolate color, her vibrant smile reduced to a nervous thin line. He flexes his muscles, channeling all of his feeling into what he does best. Yes, there would be some serious ass kicking soon. Mr. Shue came to her side, helping her out of his ancient car and putting his arm around her protectively. Puck didnt even think about it before he reached out, taking her hand that was closest to him. She didnt look at him like he was crazy, didnt snatch her hand away. She just tightened her grip on him, as if he were her anchor. He squeezed back. If he were her anchor, he wouldnt let go.

They entered back into the apartment quickly, feeling exposed out in the open. Puck was constantly on guard, waiting for something to jump out of the shadows. For a moment, he let himself reflect on all of this. Two years ago, if someone told him that he would take on the whole football team, his so called friends, for the glee losers, he would have beat them up. But now he was one of them, and honestly? He was proud of it. One thing he had done right in his short life of miserable failures. He hadnt realized any of that until he became friends with the eleven people surounding him now. He lived in the moment, taking what he could and giving nothing back. For example, before all of this, he had used girls. It felt good to have sex with them, and that was all that mattered to him. He didnt really care about they're feelings, whether they got hurt or not.

Then he went out with Mercedes. She wasnt the same, he honestly wanted to do nice things for her. To make her happy. Maybe it had started out for him, but it turned into her. It was all her. And when she broke up with him for...for_ bullying_, he had realized just how bad of a person he really was. Why had she even gone out with him in the first place? He couldnt count the times he had slushied her, or thrown her best friend in the dumpster.

"You better?" Quinn asked her quietly, taking one of her hands in both of hers. Mercedes looked up at her and smiled slightly. They both sat down, Quinn on the floor beside the couch and Mercedes next to where Finn had laid Kurt out. She ran her fingers through his hair, whispering something that really sounded like _im sorry._

"Guys." Mr. Shue said, clearing his throat. He had their attention at once, though now that all eyes were on him, he looked unsure of himself. But he was Mr. Shue, and simple displeasure wasnt going to stop him from doing anything he could to help his students. Puck had learned that quickly, and while it seemed sappy, he didnt mind. He truely loved that he cared so much.

Not like he was ever going to admit it though.

"This should have never happened, I should have taken this a lot more seriously. Im your teacher, and its my job to keep you safe. I failed, and I'm _so _sorry." He said, actual tears shinning in his eyes. Oh no, Puck was beginning to feel a lump in his throat. If Mr. Shue cried, he knew he wouldnt be able to keep it together. At least he wasnt alone. Tina and Rachel were softly sobbing, and tears were running steadily down Finn's face. Even the guys looked like they were going to break down soon. Mr. Shue had to look down for a minute, a soft gasp escaping him.

"If you don't want us to call the police, we are going to have to do something. Karofsky and Azimio will be expelled, but they'll probably be back. And then theres the rest of the football team. We're going to have to stick together, but it doesnt look like we'll have any problem with that. But for tonight, I dont want you guys on the road. It's late, storming, and your all upset. If you want, we'll just make it a Glee sleepover, and thats what you can tell your parents. But when you call them, tell them were going on a field trip tomorrow."

"Really? When did that happen?" Santana asked, making Puck notice her for the first time since they got here. She wasnt crying now, but she had tear tracks running down her face. Mr. Shue smiled just a little.

"Since I called Figgins about five minutes ago. Apparently were going to the musical zoo with the animals that speak Spanish." The room came alive for a moment, as it was filled with soft laughter.

"What did Figgins say to that?" Puck asked, honestly curious.

"He just asked if I was paying, and told us to have a good time once I told him it was on me." It took a while, but slowly, the glee kids began to come to life again. Finn took Kurt into Mr. Shue's room with Mercedes trailing close behind. Everyone called their parents and told them what was going on. It was beginning to look like maybe, just maybe, things would get better. Puck knew that two years ago, he could very well have been the person that had caused this pain. But he wasnt afraid to admit that he was never going to be that person again. This time, he wouldnt be the bully.

He would be the protector.

**A/N **Hi! I finally update! Sorry, I have been trying really hard to get the police in here, but every time I write it in, I end up erasing it all. So, sorry to all those who wanted police action, but our Gleeks will handle this :). There will probably be a few more chapters in this story, then there will be a sequel. Name wont be that different, and ill post it on the last chapter or so. Again, Im so sorry this took so long! But thanks for sticking with me! As always, please review? It makes my day :)


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